PROCAREFUL

Project overview

PRO.active CARE F.or U.sers L.ife

Elderly and vulnerable people wish to be taken care of in their homes. But technical solutions to support independent living of people in need of care are often missing, especially in rural regions. The PROCAREFUL project wants to improve the situation by developing a new model for hybrid homecare services. The partners work on a solution that combines face-to-face care with remote and digital support based on machine learning and artificial intelligence. The deployment of the model is tested in five regions.

2,29m â‚¬

Project Budget

80%

of the Budget is funded by ERDF

Layer 1

6

Countries

8

Regions

9

Partners

1

Pilots

Duration

Start date

End date

Project progress

101%

About the project

Facing the need to shift from a reactive approach to care, intervening only once problems arise, to a proactive approach that actively prevent decline, the PROCAREFUL project introduces a hybrid model of care designed for adults aged 55 and over. The model promotes early action by combining human support and social relationships with a digital tool that encourage healthy routines to reduce the risk of cognitive and physical decline and social isolation. The hybrid care model, supported by a digital platform, offers a range of cognitive, physical and social exercises tailored to each person’s abilities. Professionals can monitor individual progress and integrate digital exercises with face-to-face activities that stimulate social participation and well-being. The model and the platform were co-designed with seniors, informal and formal caregivers, managers and policymakers to ensure they respond to real needs and can be adapted across diverse local contexts. Between September 2024 and June 2025, the hybrid model was piloted in Croatia, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Slovenia, involving 165 participants and 30 formal caregivers. The pilot phase assessed the platform’s usability and measured the effectiveness of the hybrid model in different home care systems. Building on these results, PROCAREFUL also developed a policy strategy containing recommendations for the adoption of the hybrid model embedding a preventive approach to home care.

Project partnership

Project partners

Italia (IT)

Lead partner

Education and Care Institution

Innovation & Development Department
Address
Via Borgo Mazzini 48
31100 Treviso
Country
Italy (IT)
Web
www.israa.it

Project partner

Address
Resljeva 7
1000 Ljubljana
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
http://www.inst-antonatrstenjaka.si/eng/institut.asp
Total partner budget
253,000 €
Address
Gospodarcza 26
20-213 Lublin
Country
Poland (PL)
Web
www.oic.lublin.pl
Total partner budget
211,000 €
Department of International Relations
Address
Andrassy 100
1062 Budapest
Country
Hungary (HU)
Web
https://mgfu.hu/
Total partner budget
211,000 €
Project Management Office
Address
Via Genova 9
34121 Trieste
Country
Italy (IT)
Web
ww.cei.int
Total partner budget
226,400 €
Address
Sinjska 7
21000 Split
Country
Croatia (HR)
Web
www.udruga-mi.hr
Total partner budget
213,100 €
Department Research & Development
Address
Schloßstraße 80
70176 Stuttgart
Country
Germany (DE)
Web
www.wohlfahrtswerk.de
Total partner budget
333,500 €
Address
Na Grivi 5
1358 Log pri Brezovici
Country
Slovenia (SI)
Web
http://www.log-dragomer.si
Total partner budget
211,000 €
Address
Aleje Jerozolimskie 44
00-024 Warsaw
Country
Poland (PL)
Web
https://britenet.com.pl
Total partner budget
253,000 €

Roadmap

1

The Aging Population Challenge

There is a rapid increase in the number of older people in our community. Home care organizations are currently facing significant difficulties in delivering accessible and timely care services to meet the growing demand.

2

Identifying the problem: Reactive Care vs. Proactive Care

Within this context, there is a predominant reliance on a reactive approach to care delivery, which focuses on addressing health issues only after they have manifested. This reactive approach is costly and misses the opportunity for prevention, which could significantly improve the well-being of older individuals.

3

Our idea: Seizing the Technological Opportunity

Our idea revolves around the possibility of leveraging technology to tap into the high potential for prevention. What if we could harness the power of technology to proactively address health issues before they manifest?

4

Our solution: PROCAREFUL Hybrid Home Care Model

Partners developed a flexible hybrid home care model that integrates in-person and remote care to proactively address the cognitive, physical, and social needs of individuals.

5

First step: Identifying Best Practices

Partners started by conducting research and benchmarking in the Central Europe region to identify best practices and solutions for hybrid home care.

6

Second step: Co-generating the PROCAREFUL Hybrid Home Care Model

The Consortium actively involved over 150 individuals, including people aged 55+, informal and formal caregivers, managers, policy makers, and other relevant stakeholders to co-generate the PROCAREFUL hybrid home care model and the software platform, ensuring their adaptability to diverse contexts and long-term sustainability.

7

Third step: Pilot testing and Impact assessment

For 9 months, partners tested the PROCAREFUL hybrid home care model with 165 individuals over 55 and 30 formal caregivers at five pilot sites to assess model adaptability across different care contexts, sustainability within care organizations, and its impact on governance, organizational models, and integrated care systems.

8

Proof of progress

Desk research was conducted and 41 existing solutions available on the market were mapped. A two-step co-design process was carried out, involving more than 130 people to co-generate the PROCAREFUL Hybrid Home Care Model and its digital platform. Then, 165 seniors aged 55+ and 30 caregivers in 5 pilot sites tested our solution. This led to the development of 1 Policy Strategy for the adoption of the PROCAREFUL Hybrid Home Care Model in the Central Europe Programme Area.

9

Our Vision

To empower individuals in need of care to lead independent lives while simultaneously ensuring the sustainability of care services.

10

PROCAREFUL Project

Digitalizing home care services to support people in need of care in the Central Europe Area.

News

Events

Pilot actions

Outputs

Action Plan for PROCAREFUL Model Implementation

A comprehensive strategy that lays out the goals and steps for home care providers and users to create and put into action a proactive care model. This plan will suggest tools and ways to involve the staff and users and will set goals and measures for evaluating the model.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans

PROCAREFUL platform

The platform will serve as the primary technological tool for providing care through the PROCAREFUL model. Powered by artificial intelligence, it will feature front-end interfaces with assessment and health promoting activities for end-users and carers. The final version of the platform will take into account input from end-users and will have specific features to meet the needs of the cooperation area.
Type of output: Solutions

Policy strategy for the PROCAREFUL Hybrid home care model adoption in the Central Europe area

A document outlining the PROCAREFUL model's principles, how partners have put them into practice, their experiences, and what results they've achieved. It will also include policy recommendations from partners and brief reports based on initial pilot assessments, evaluations of key performance indicators, user feedback, and more. The manual will assess the impact on organizations and key players.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans

Project documents

Key reports

Report that presents activities from the 5 pilot sites The report presents the implementation of the PROCAREFUL model across 5 home care sites, offering a pilot-by-pilot overview of the process.
Methodology for adapting the PROCAREFUL Platform to local context on the basis of users’ and practitioners’ needs This document outlines the methodology for adapting the PROCAREFUL platform to local environments, addressing the needs of both users and practitioners. It details the requirements and functionalities that meet the specific needs of stakeholders and end-users, while also defining the scope and limitations of these features.
PROCAREFUL hybrid care model and training manual The document is designed to provide formal, informal, and senior carers with the knowledge and skills to effectively apply the PROCAREFUL hybrid care model in home care settings.
Findings from the co-design process The document contains the results and national reports from the two-step co-design process implemented by project partners with people aged 55 and over, informal carers, formal carers, managers and policy makers, and other stakeholders from the third sector. Co-design results were used to shape the PROCAREFUL hybrid home care model and to develop the ICT platform that was tested in the 5 pilot sites.
Expert Ranking Evaluation of e-care and m-health solutions for home care This report contains a detailed ranking and evaluation of selected relevant solutions. The collected data were used to develop a series of recommendations and indications based on the aspects that have already fostered positive outcomes and the observed obstacles.
Meta-analysis on e-care, m-health solutions, benchmark projects and literature findings The report constitutes a meta-analysis on e-care, m-health solutions, benchmark projects and literature findings. It presents the structured data collected by PPs at EU and national level. The document describes the results and main findings from the available literature, providing guidelines on how consensus on evaluation grid shall be reached and applied in the implementation model. The report assumes both the identification of the problems faced by stakeholders and the analysis of the currently available technology in terms of the presently applied product and implementation strategies.

Project Brochure

PROCAREFUL

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Project on social media

Project Contacts

Project Manager

Oscar Zanutto
Phone: +39 3472727598

Finance Manager

Davide Tuis
Phone: +39 335 817 1888

Communication Manager

Giorgia Coldebella
Phone: +39 331 1430022